Gop Moves In City-suburb O`hare Fight

SPRINGFIELD — House Republicans Wednesday made the principal move in what is expected to become a protracted city-suburban fight over control of O`Hare

International Airport when they proposed a nine-member regional airport authority for all three Chicago airports.

As introduced, the authority would have just one representative appointed by the mayor of Chicago. The governor would name two members, and six suburban members would be appointed by the county boards of Cook and the five collar counties.

House Speaker Michael Madigan (D., Chicago) immediately rejected the proposal and accused Republicans of ``pandering to those who harbor anti-Chicago sentiment.``

The bills were propelled into the House by a burst of activity in the last 10 days in which suburban officials and legislators vowed to seize greater control over issues related to jet noise and expansion at city-operated O`Hare.

House Minority Leader Lee Daniels (R., Elmhurst), a sponsor of the proposed regional airport authority, which would be charged with operating O`Hare as well as Midway Airport and Meigs Field, said the size and composition of the board are negotiable.

``Everything is subject to discussion and negotiations in this process,`` he said, adding that he was willing to accept ``whatever it takes to create a regional airport authority.``

A spokesman for Gov. James Thompson said the governor is committed to the concept of a regional airport authority but has not embraced the House Republicans` proposal or a similar one introduced in the Senate last Friday. That proposal would give the mayor two appointments on a six-member board. The Senate bill, a less comprehensive measure, would not include appointees from collar counties.

The prospects for passing any regional airport authority appear bleak, however, because of the adamant opposition to the concept by Madigan, who enjoys a commanding 16-seat Democratic majority in the House.

In an interview Wednesday, Madigan stressed that the city has made a huge financial investment in the airports and that Republicans have not said how the city should be reimbursed for that commitment. He also said an airport authority simply would create ``another regional layer of government.``

``I told Governor Thompson in a meeting yesterday in my office that he should view his support of a bill to create a regional airport authority as the low point in his career and that he ought to view this activity with shame,`` said Madigan, a close ally of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Adlai Stevenson.

In addition to operating the airports, the authority would conduct feasibility studies into their expansion and the need for the construction of a new airport in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Other proposals in the House Republicans` 16-bill package include authorization for $25 million in state grants to offset the costs of installing soundproofing for schools and income tax credits of up to $10,000 to individuals who live within five miles of an airport for insulating their homes against airport noise.

Also in the package is a measure to require the Department of Public Health to study cancer risks among people living near O`Hare, a bill requiring the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to monitor in-flight aircraft emissions and legislation banning supersonic airplanes, except those owned by the federal government, from landing in Cook County after July 1.

``O`Hare area residents are angry,`` said Rep. Linda Williamson (R., Northlake), chairwoman of the House Republicans` aviation task force. ``During our hearings, they told us of life-threatening problems they must deal with every day--noise pollution, noxious fumes from aircraft exhaust and traffic snarls.``

Also on Wednesday:

-- Lawmakers held in committee a controversial proposal that would have mandated the state to establish a comparable-worth pay scale for about 60,000 of its employees. The Committee on State Government Administration had apparently passed the same proposal two weeks ago in a disputed vote, but the measure was never moved to the House floor by Democratic leaders.

The committee narrowly passed a disputed motion to reconsider its vote of two weeks ago. When that motion passed, proponents of comparable worth abandoned their efforts for a committee vote to move the plan to the House floor.

Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D., Chicago), sponsor of the measure, said the committee`s action is a crippling setback for passage this year of comparable worth, the concept of equal pay for jobs demanding similar levels of skills, education and responsibility.

-- Supporters of merit selection for judges were thwarted in their effort to discharge the proposed constitutional amendment from the Senate Executive Committee and have it heard by the entire chamber. They blamed Senate President Philip Rock (D., Oak Park) for not allowing the discharge motion to be called, but a spokeswoman for Rock said he merely honored the position of the Democratic caucus.